Heart Beats (Joker's Sin #3) - Davidson King Page 0,32

and I left, I noticed a few of the new security guys in the parking lot. I remembered what everyone said earlier, and I wished them a good night. I wasn’t sure if they were going to follow me back to my house, but at least once my doors closed, I’d be safe and away from prying eyes. The only eyes I wanted on me right now were Shane’s.

Chapter Seventeen

Shane

Waking up wrapped in Ledger was absolutely my favorite way to greet the morning. I knew before I opened my eyes that Lion was perched on the headboard, because I could hear him preening.

“Morning, Lion,” I whispered, not wanting to wake Ledger, who I could tell was still sleeping.

“Morning, friend,” Lion squawked, and I couldn’t help but smile.

Ledger told me he didn’t really like anyone, and when we first heard Lion call me friend, I felt honored.

“You didn’t happen to make breakfast, did you?” I turned so I could see the bird better.

“Don’t be stupid,” he said, and I couldn’t hold in my laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Ledger’s voice was thick and raspy and fucking sexy.

“Your bird told me not to be stupid after I asked him if he made us breakfast. I thought he was supposed to be the smartest bird in the world.”

Ledger chuckled, and I shivered when his fingers slid along my naked back and down my spine. “I’ll have to see about training him to do that.”

“In your dreams,” Lion squawked and then flew away.

He was pressing delicious kisses to my neck when his phone buzzed.

“I’m ignoring that.”

I wanted him to, especially when he started nibbling, but the phone never stopped, and eventually the mood was killed.

“What?” Ledger snapped into the phone.

I watched Ledger’s face morph from angry to frustrated to something I couldn’t place. Still angry, but mortified maybe?

“When, where is it showing that?” he asked whoever was on the other end. “Fuck!”

“What is it?” I sat up, concerned about what had Ledger so angry.

“But that’s not what happened.…Yes, I want that stated.…What the fuck? Has anyone spoken with Trinity on this?”

The second her name was mentioned, I knew it was bad.

“Of course she said no comment, she’s likely loving this. How about Ziggy? He was there, he can clear this up too.”

I got out of bed, Ledger’s gaze on me as I slipped on a pair of pajama pants he’d let me borrow and went to the bathroom. I’d clean up and when he was done with his call, I hoped he’d let me know what was going on and how Trinity was involved.

I took my time in the shower and when I finished, Ledger wasn’t in the bedroom anymore, and the scent of coffee filled the air. I put on the pants I wore the night before and snagged one of Ledger’s shirts. I really was going to need to start putting clean clothes in a backpack if there were going to be so many spontaneous nights here.

In the kitchen Ledger was sitting on one of his stools, slumped over a mug of coffee.

“Hey,” I said.

When he lifted his head there was no hiding the expression. He looked spent, sad, and frustrated.

“What’s wrong?”

“I gotta tell you something, and I want to be the one to do it and not have you find out another way.”

I hated the sound of that. “I think I’ll need coffee for this.”

He didn’t say any more; he let me get my coffee. My head swam with thoughts and ideas of what he’d say. All I did know was, it involved Trinity and him.

I sat on one of the stools and stared at his weary form. “Okay, I’m ready.”

He sighed into his half-drunk mug. “The night Trinity and Ziggy left, I walked them to the car. Said good-bye. I guess someone, a reporter or whatever, took a picture of me hugging Trin good-bye. They got it in their head that she and I are a thing. Well, this morning it’s on entertainment rags and sites that Trinity and I are dating.”

I took a sip of my coffee, digesting everything Ledger said to me. I let the words swim in my brain for a few, but, nope, it wasn’t computing. “I don’t get it, though. What does a hug mean anyway? You hugged Ziggy too, I bet. You hug people.”

“I know, but Trinity always has reporters following her. She’s one scandal after another.”

Nodding I said, “Fine, but again I say it was just a hug. How do they read into a hug